Li's back-channelling - sources said he bypassed the China Securities Regulatory Commission, which lost some of its power under the new set-up - demonstrated what became a reputation for pragmatism as well as close ties with President Xi Jinping.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was charged on Friday with abuse of power and money laundering over projects launched under his premiership, accusations that he said were politically motivated.

A dwarf elephant the size of a Shetland pony once roamed the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. In the West Indies, a giant rat-like rodent tipped the scales at more than 400 pounds (180 kg), rivaling an American black bear.

Anwar, when launching the 27th Revenue Day on Monday, said the move was aimed at ensuring that those who are obliged to pay income tax do not evade or escape legal claims.

US President Joe Biden will host Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday in San Diego, site of major US Navy operations, to chart a way forward for Australia's plans to obtain nuclear-powered submarines. 

United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink has said the US is looking forward to a legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, as ASEAN states and China prepare to resume negotiations.

Former Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin will be charged with corruption-related offenses on Friday, the chief of the country's anti-graft agency told Reuters.

Diesel fuel and thick oil from the vessel have contaminated the waters and beaches of nine municipalities along the coast of Oriental Mindoro province.

Australia's nuclear submarines will ensure peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific, southeast Asia and Indian Ocean, Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday ahead of a landmark agreement between Washington, Canberra and London.

Australia is expected to buy up to five U.S. Virginia class nuclear powered submarines in the 2030's as part of a landmark defense agreement between Washington, Canberra and London, four US officials said on Wednesday, in a deal that would present a new challenge to China.

Yunus is credited with lifting millions out of poverty with his pioneering micro-credit bank, but he has fallen out with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who has said he is "sucking blood" from the poor.

The body found in a capsized boat in the waters of the disputed Senkaku Islands has been confirmed to be of Taiwanese nationality, while the remaining six crew members, all Indonesians, remain missing, Jakarta said late on Tuesday night.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi on Monday reaffirmed Indonesia's bilateral relations with Japan, with an emphasis on key trade and investment cooperation by reaffirming commitments to advance the amendment of protocols for the Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA).

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday his government wants to diversify trade and foreign investment partners, as he prepares to lead a business delegation to India which he said shares Australia's democratic values.

The Foreign Ministry is continuing to coordinate with authorities in Japan and Taiwan over an unidentified vessel that capsized north of the Senkaku Islands with at least six Indonesian sailors aboard.

"At any cost, we won't tolerate any action by anybody who wishes to destroy peace in Cambodia," he said.

The Foreign Ministry said on Monday it was coordinating with the embassy in Japan and the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office (KDEI) in Taipei after six Indonesian crewmembers reportedly went missing after their boat capsized in the disputed Senkaku Islands, an official has said.

Energy-poor Japan hopes to become the world's leading hydrogen economy to reduce dependence on traditional polluting fossil fuels such as coal and oil.

The country will spend 1.55 trillion yuan ($225 billion) on defence this year, according to a report by the Ministry of Finance published on the opening day of the annual session of the country's rubber-stamp parliament.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, an avid music fan, drew the parallel to the Fab Four on Friday, as he met his Quad counterparts from the United States, Australia and India in New Delhi.

The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights have called on ASEAN to provide “real” assistance to prodemocracy forces up against military rule in Myanmar.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the foreign ministers of the other three nations assembled in New Delhi under the auspices of their Quad grouping.

Xi is certain to be reappointed as president after he locked in another five years as head of the Communist Party (CCP) and the military -- the two more significant leadership positions in Chinese politics -- in October.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said during a visit to the Philippines that ASEAN must prove it is "relevant" in helping to resolve the crisis in Myanmar.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni landed in India on Thursday, as the countries look to improve ties hurt by the 2012 shooting of two fishermen by Italian marines off the southern Indian coast.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered improvements to infrastructure and expansion of farmland to ramp up food production, state media said on Thursday, amid warnings of an impending food crisis.

Saudi and British defense ministers have agreed to study future co-operation on combat air capabilities and potential industrial projects, the Saudi state news agency reported.

Taiwan reported on Thursday a second day of a large scale Chinese air force incursion into its air defense zone, with its defense ministry saying that in the past 24 hours it had spotted 21 aircraft, as part of Beijing's ongoing military pressure campaign.

FBI Director Christopher Wray told Fox News on Tuesday that the Bureau has now assessed the source of COVID-19 was "most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan."

For Zoey Zhang, a student from China who is heading to a top Australian university, finding accommodation Down Under has been tough - so much so that she has even considered sleeping "rough on the streets".